New York City, New York (October 10, 2011): David A. Paterson, 55th governor of the state of New York and a member of and consultant to the National Federation of the Blind, today urged immediate passage of the Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act (H.R. 3086), which was introduced in the United States House of Representatives last week.

Governor Paterson said: “It is long past time for the anachronistic provision of the Fair Labor Standards Act that allows workers with disabilities to be paid less than the federal minimum wage to be phased out. As Samuel R. Bagenstos, former principal deputy assistant attorney general for civil rights, has reported, Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act does not encourage mainstream employers to hire disabled workers; does not result in the training of workers with disabilities to participate in competitive employment; and does not even produce wages tied to the alleged lower productivity of disabled workers, which is a myth in any event. This anachronism must be stricken from America’s statute books, and workers with disabilities must receive equal pay for equal work and an equal opportunity to succeed.”

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About the National Federation of the Blind
With more than 50,000 members, the National Federation of the Blind is the largest and most influential membership organization of blind people in the United States. The NFB improves blind people’s lives through advocacy, education, research, technology, and programs encouraging independence and self-confidence. It is the leading force in the blindness field today and the voice of the nation's blind. In January 2004 the NFB opened the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute, the first research and training center in the United States for the blind led by the blind.